How did fruit transported from colonies to the capitals during the colonial era stay fresh enough during shipping trips lasting months at sea?

Question

You often hear in history how fruits such as pineapples and bananas (seen as an exotic foreign produce in places such as Britain) were transported back to the country for people, often wealthy or influential, to try. How did such fruits last the months long voyages from colonies back to the empire’s capital without modern day refrigeration/freezing?

In: 7801

Answer 1

Gastropod has a wonderful episode on this topic: [Meet the Man Who Found, Finagled, and Ferried Home the Foods We Eat Today](https://gastropod.com/meet-the-man-who-found-finagled-and-ferried-home-the-foods-we-eat-today/). They talk about David Fairchild who brought many fruits (kale, mango, peaches, dates, grapes, lemons) to the United States back in the early days.